Electroscope



May 4, 1954 H. CARMICHAEL E1-AL 2,677,773

ELECTROSCOPE Filed July 20, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l FE Egg: IJzfgnfF Husa L'HrMmHHeL PERL'YE'. 'HLMI'I BY'- Y May 4, 1954 'H. cARMlcHA-EL. ETAL ELECTROSCOPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20, 1950 Inf/mrs jfzfHm/L'HHEL. Param. rrfmz MW QSI. wo. n@ No.

Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTROSCOPE Hugh Carmichael and Percy George Salmon,

Deep River, Ontario, Canada, assignors to National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, a body corporate of Canada Application July 20, 1950, Serial No. 174,920

(Cl. Z50-83.3)

l Claims. 1

This invention is for improvements in or relating to electroscopes.

The necessity for continuously measuring the radiation affecting personnel working with radioactive materials or being otherwise exposed to penetrating radiant energy or particles, has given rise to a demand for small light-weight radiation-measuring instruments which are sufficiently rugged in mechanical construction to withstand being carried continuously on the person while having an electrical sensitivity and stability of an order high enough to serve as reliable indicaters under conditions of radiation dosages of the order of magnitude of 0.5 Roentgens or less, full scale, or alternatively between 0.5 and 25 Roen'tgens iull scale or of the order of 25.0 Roentgens and upwards, full scale.

Quartz-nbre electroscopes oi' the type commonly coupled with the names of C. C. and T. Lauritsen and described by them in an article entitled A Simple Quartz Fiber Electroscope (Rev. Sci. Inst., 3, 438, i937), have proved eminently suitable as a basis for design for instruments of the type in question in preserving the essential simplicity of the Well-known gold-leaf electrescope while utilising as indicator an elastic fibre which upon deflection provides its own restoring force and yet is so thin and light as substantially to be unaiiected by the force of gravity.

Various miniature electroscopes using elastic iibre indicators have become commercially available and. have been put into extensive use over recent years under such names as Lauritsen electroscopes, fountain-pen electroscopes, pocket electroscopes, pocket dosimeters, portable dosimeters and so on. The miniature instruments previously available have, however, been rather costly to produce in requiring considerable skill in manufacturing assembly and adjustment to secure similar electrical characteristics in instruments of otherwise identical construction and in utilising a relatively large number of component parts, particularly in the optical system.

The invention relates to electroscopes of the type utilising an indicator fibre consisting of a fine, light, elastic electrical conductor (for example, a quartz fibre sputtered with gold) supported with an extremity free to deflect under the influence of an applied electrostatic field.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved electroscope of the type referred to having simple means for viewing and estimating the position of the indicator fibre.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electroscope particularly suited to miniaturisation, which is compact, light in Weight and mechanically rugged while at the Same time possessing a high order of electrical stability and a sensitivity adequate for the purpose in view.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction suited to mass production methods which nevertheless is capable of giving substantially constant electrical characteristics notwithstanding such minor structural variations between otherwise identical instruments as are inevitable in large scale production.

According to the invention an electroscope comprises a casing having an internal conducting surface, a member having a conducting surface mounted within the casing in insulated relationship thereto, a exible conducting indicator nbre supported adjacent to one of the said surfaces constituting a repulsion surface in electrical connection therewith, the libre having an extremity capable of angular deflection with respect to the repulsion surface, a scale within the casing carried adjacent to the deflectable extremity of the fibre in measuring relationship to angular deliection thereof, an objective lens supported from an aperture in the casing in imageforming relationship to and spaceed from the deflectable extremity of the libre and Scale by an optical distance less than its focal length, and means for illuminating the libre and scale by light external to the casing whereby enlarged virtual images thereof may be viewed at the lens.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the window is arranged in the casing on the optical axis of the lens and the scale and indicator fibre are disposed between the lens and the window for trans-illumination from the latter.

In an alternative construction, the Window is situated out of alignment with the optical axis of the lens and an optical system is provided within the casing to receive light admitted by the window and to direct it upon the scale and the deiectable extremity of the libre. The optical system preferably comprises a prsmtic reflecting system in the ield of view of the lens and may conveniently include a rst prismatic element upon which the scale is carried immediately adjacent to the deflectable extremity of the libre for trans-illumination by the element, and a second prismatic element removed further from the lens than the delectable extremity of the nbre for trans-illuminating the fibre extremity.

stabilisation of the indicator fibre is effected in accordance with the invention by the provision of a planar repulsion surface with respect to which the libre is supported in parallel spaced relationship for electrostatic deilection in a plane substantially at right angles thereto, the repulsion surface extending directionally lengthwise of the fibre to approximately its deflectable extremity and laterally at each side of the plane of deflection to denne an area substantially as great as that embraced in any maximum deflection of the bre out of that plane.

The scale preferably extends substantially in the plane of electrostatic deflection of the fibre and stabilisation of the libre is assisted by the provision of an edge to the scale which is electrically connected to the internal wall of the casing and which has a curvature conforming to the arc of electrostatic deection of the fibre extremity and is positioned beyond but closely adjacent to the arc of deiiection. The electrical stability of the indicator fibre may be further improved by the provision opposite to the repulsion surface of a conducting guide surface which also is electrically connected to the internal wall of the casing and which has a curvature conforming substantially to the arc of electrostatic deflection of the bre extremity and is positioned beyond but closely adjacent to the arc of deflection.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a View partly in side elevation and partly in diametral section of a first embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a part side elevation and part diametral section looking at right angles to Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detail of the image of the indicator iibre and scale as seen in the operation of the electroscope of Figures l to 4,

Figure 5 is a perspective view looking into the interior of the outer casing of a second embodiment of the invention,

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of certain components arranged to be contained within the casing of Figure 4, showing also a lid for the casing,

Figure '7 is a sectional side View of the casing of Figure 5 with the assembled components of Figure 6 contained therein, the section being taken in a plane transverse to the casing containing the line l-l of Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 8 is a further sectional side view similar to Figure 7 but taken on the line 8 3 of Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The electroscope shown in Figures l, 2 and 3 includes a tubular casing 'it closed by an upper end li, the casing and its end having an electrically conductive inner surface l2. The lower end of the casing is secured to a spigot portion 'i3 of a handle member l, the casing lii and spigot 'i3 being detachably engaged through corresponding screw threads.

An insulating disc 'i5 is secured transversely within the casing 'd above the spigot i3 and serves to provide a rigid insulating support for a cylindrical post 'i6 which extends axially within the casing through a central hole in the insulating disc. The post 'I5 also passes through an elliptical aperture in a flat repelling plate 'Vi which is secured in rigid engagement with and lies transversely to the post 16.

The post 'I6 and repelling plate ll' have electrically-conductive outer surfaces in electrical connection with each other and together constitute an ion-collector assembly which can be electrically charged relatively to the inner surface l2 of the casing. The conductive surface 72 of the casing embraces a chamber in which the ioncollector assembly is situated, which chamber may be ionised by radiation passing therethrough.

The end of the post 76 above the plate ll is chamfered, as shown at 18, in a plane parallel with the plate 'Il and a short indicator nbre i9, consisting of a ne, light-weight, elastic and electrically-conductive bre is cemented, for example by an electrically-conducting shellac, to the chamfered end 18 so as to lie substantially parallel with and closely adjacent to the plate li in the uncharged condition of the electroscope and in the diametral plane of the casing which extends at right angles to the plate il.

The indicator libre 'I9 preferably consists of a short straight fibre of fused quartz, for example of about 3 to 4 microns diameter, which is gilded or platinised to make it conducting. Alternatively, an electrically conductive glass or metal nbre may be employed. The indicator i9 is connected electrically to the post 76 and accordingly shares any electrical charge imparted to the collector assembly. The collector may be charged by unscrewing the handle member i4 and by connecting a source of direct voltage between the conductive surface 'l2 of the casing 'l0 and an end Si@ of the post i6 which protrudes through the insulator 15. When the collector and indicator are charged, the indicator is electrostatically repelled by and bends away from the plate ll, its position being dependent upon the voltage difierence between the plate 'Il and casing A thin, flat plate 8i is secured in a top corner of the casing between the tubular wall 'i0 and end li and extends radially part way across the casing in a plane substantially coinciding vwith the diametral plane of the casing at right angles to the plate ll, the indicator 'I9 also lying in that plane. A transparent element 82 of approximately half the width of the plate 8l is mounted at the end of the plate 8l and has a front surface 33 located in the diametral plane containing the indicator.

The surface 83 of the element S2 is provided with a suitably divided scale as shown in Figure 4, graduated, for example, in fractions of a Roentgen, for estimating the deflection of the indicator fibre and for thus indicating the total dosage of radiation or penetrating particles to which the ionisation chamber has been exposed, The plate 3| and element 82 terminate in contiguous edges 84 and t5, respectively, together constituting a smooth arcuate guide surface which conforms substantially in curvature with, extends closely adjacent to and lies beyond the arc followed by the end of the indicator fibre i9 in its electrostatic deflection away from the repeiling plate l1. The arcuate edges ist and 85 are electrically conductive and are connected electrically with each other and with the conducting surface 12. AS will be understood from the foregoing, the edges 84 and 85 and the indicator l lie in a common diametral plane at right angles to the repelling plate ll and the indicator defiects electrostatically in that plane.

At opposite sides of the top end of the casing l) are provided circular openings 36 and 3l centred on a diameter of the casing at right angles to the plate 8|. A short focus simple positive objective lens 88 is mounted within the opening lll with its optical axis approximately coincident with the centre-line of the openings, and the transparent element 82 is arranged on the centre-line of the openings so that the edge 85 approximately coincides with the optical axis of the lens. A transparent Window 89 is sealed within the opening 86 to admit external light into the casing.

The lens 88 is so selected that the surface 83 and the deflectable end of the indicator nbre i9 lie Within its focal length and enlarged virtual images of the scale and indicator libre may,

therefore, be viewed through the lens against the illumination provided through the window 89.

As shown in Figure 1, the repelling plate 11 extends both lengthwise directionally of the indicator libre 19 and directionally laterally thereof across a major part of the ionisation chamber to a substantial distance beyond each side of the indicator. It also extends beyond the fixed end of the indicator 19 for a substantial distance. The area of the plane surface of the plate 11 lying behind the indicator fibre is such that it is substantially co-extensive with the area which can be swept by the defiectable end of the indicator fibre in any movement in, or laterally out of the plane of electrostatic deflection such as may occur if the instrument is subjected to` gross overcharging or to severe mechanical shock. Moreover, the surface 12 of the casing lies beyond the sweep of the indicator in any such possible deflection so that it is impossible for the indicator to adhere to the surface 12 under the most severe conditions of shock or over-charging.

The embodiment of the invention just described may be constructed as a very small compact instrument and the cylindrical construction is well adapted and convenient for fitting to the end of a pen, pencil or like holder in place of the handle shown.

The further embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 5 to 8 is designed to be worn upon the wrist and includes an outer casing 99 having the external shape of a Wrist-watch, closed at its face by an integral front wall 9| (Figures '1 and 8) which lies transversely to an internal cylindrical wall surface 92 extending from the wall 9! to the back of the casing. The wall 9| is reduced in thickness over a segmental portion to provide an angular recess bounded by side surfaces 93 and 94, a flat forward surface 95 of the reduced wall 9|, and a forward portion of a guide surface ,-91, comprising a smooth continuation of the surface 92, which guide surface extends to the bottom of the recess. The surfaces 93 and 94 merge smoothly into each other and into the surfaces 91 and 92 respectively as shown in Figure 5.

The guide surface 91 terminates in a shoulder 98 which juts out from the surface 92 next to the surface 99 and which extends from the forward surface 95 to almost the back of the casing. rIhe guide surface 91 extends from the forward surface 95 to the outer end of the shoulder 99 and has a curvature which conforms substantially with the arc of electrostatic deflection of the deilectable end of an indicator libre arranged within the casing 99 as will hereinafter appear.

A rectangular slot 98 extends through the side wall of the casing 90 from the back thereof to approximately half its depth, one wall of the slot being coincident with the ledge 96.

A prismatic optical system is received by the slot 98, the system comprising reflecting prisms 99 and |00 which are both integral with a lighttransmitting bar portion |l. The prisms 99 and |00 and the bar portion |0| may be made of glass, but for large scale production a transparent plastic of high refractive index such as methyl methacrylate is preferably used. The prisms 99 and |00 project within the casing, the bar portion |0| being received within the slot 98 and terminating flush with the outer wall of the casing. The front prism 99 has a curved edge forming a continuation of the guide surface 91 and is provided with a stepped upper surface (Figures and 7) comprising a planar surface |02 engraved with a scale and a lower surface |03 which is blackened. The rear prism |00 projects beyond the guide surface 91 and serves to direct light admitted from outside the casing through the bar portion |0| to provide background illumination for an electrically conductive indicator nbre |94 (Figure 7), similar in construction to the indicator 19 of the rst embodiment of the invention, which is arranged within the casing with its free end close to the curved edge of the upper prism 98. The scale on the planar surface |02 of the prism 99 is likewise illuminated by light transmitted through the bar |0| and reflected by the prism towards the scale. The prismatic system is held in position by an element |05 tted in tight engagement in the end of the slot 98 against the rear surface of the bar portion |0| or it can be cemented or waxed in position. It is important that the arcuate edge of the prism 99 adjacent to the indicator fibre should be electrically conducting. This condition can conveniently be achieved by the application of a very thin, semitransparent, metal coating over the whole of the prisms 98, 99 and bar |00. Alternatively, a conducting material such as colloidal graphite can be painted along the edge of the prism 99 without obscuring the scale marking. The electrically conducting surface of the prism is electrically connected to the adjoining interior surface of the casing.

An aperture |06 is formed in the forward wall of the angular recess in axial alignment with the mid-point of the engraved edge of the prism 99 and a short focus positive objective lens |81 is secured within a recess in the outer surface of the end wall 9| concentric with the aperture |08. The distance between the objective lens |01 and the plane of the indicator |04 and the surface |02 carrying the scale is slightly less than the focal length of the lens so that upon peering closely into the lens upright considerably magnified virtual images of the scale and indicator fibre can be seen at a distance of approximately 25 cms. from the lens against a bright background illumination from the prisms 99 and |00. To minimise aberrational errors of the simple objective lens |01 its marginal area is preferably stopped-off, for example, by an opaque masking paint or by providing an apertured cap fitting over the lens with an extension secured in the aperture in the casting.

The internal surfaces of the casing 99 i. e., the surface 92, the side surfaces 93 and 99, the forward surface 95, the inner surface of the front wall 9i, the shoulder 99 and guide surface 91 are all electrically conducting and electrically1 interconnected.

The ion-collector and indicator fibre assembly of the electroscope is shown in the exploded perspective view of Figure 6, in which figure the parts are shown as turned through from the position they would occupy when assembled in the casing 99 in the position shown.

Referring to Figure 6, the casing 98 is closed by a disclike lid 508 having a cylindrical wall |99 which extends around a major part of the periphery of the disc and interts with the cylindrical wall surface 92 of the casing 98. A peripheral flange il@ of the lid |09 seats against the rear face of the casing. As shown in Figure 6, the lid E98 is reduced in thickness over a segmental portion to provide an angular recess bounded by transverse surfaces |l| and i 2 and a flat inner surface H3. The recess in question corresponds in shape and position to the angular recess in the casing 9U bounded by the surfaces 93 and 94 and the inner surface 95. The surfaces and ||2 merge smoothly together and, in the angle embraced therebetween, the cylindrical wall |68 continues as a narrow wall H4 which interts, in the region of the prismatic system and guide surface 91, with an interior cylindrical ilange ||5 (Figure 5) forming a continuation of the surface 92. The lid |38 is thereby rotatably interconnected with the casing and may be adjusted angularly with respect thereto, the amount of such angular adjustment being limited will hereinafter appear. The side walls m9 and H4, the surfaces and H2 together with the flange H5, the remaining interior surfaces of the lid and its back surface, are all electrically conducting and electrically interconnected. With the lid Hi8 fitted in the casing Q, the interior surfaces of the closed casing are thereby all electrically interconnected and enclose a conducting chamber' which constitutes an ionisation chamber.

A charging contact is provided in the centre of the lid IS by way of a metal press pin ||l mounted in gas-tight assembly with a resilient rubber bushing H8.

Threaded holes ||9 and |29 extend part way through the lid |88 to receive screw-threaded bolts |2| and |22 respectively which serve to support an ion-collector assembly, designated by the general reference |23, in rigid electrically insulated assembly with the lid. Thus, the collector !23 is supported from its rear face upon tubular spacing insulators |24 and |25 located next to the lid Hi8. The insulators |24 and |25 each receive in close fitting engagement a reduced extension |2 and |21 respectively, of tubular insulators |28 and E29 which respectively t with lateral clearance within recesses |33 and i3! provided in opposite margins of the front face of the collector. The reduced extensions gil and lZl also extend in close-fitting engagement through circular apertures |32 and |33 opening through the body of the collector M23 within the recesses |36) and |3| respectively. Washers 43A and 35 are positioned respectively over the insulators |28 and |29 beneath the heads of the bolts |2| and |22. The collector |23 can thereby be supported in rigid and insulated relationship with the lid l by passing the bolts |2| and |22 through a washer 34 or |35, an insulator 28 or |23 with its reduced extension fitted within the apertures |32 or |33, a spacing insulator |24 or |25, and by tightening the bolts in threaded engagement with the holes llt and |20. rlhe relative positions of the aforementioned parts when so assembled is shown in Figure 8 of the drawings.

The collector |23 consists of a solid disc truncated along a chord to provide flat co-planar end-surfaces 36 and |32' which extend inwards from opposite sides of the disc parallel with its central axis. The surface extends to the diarnctral plane of the disc which lies at right angles thereto and the surface lill terminates shortly within the margin of the disc as shown.

A flat repelling plate ESS integral with the col-- lector' disc is disposed between and below the surfaces |35 and |31 in plane parallel relationship therewith. The plate |38 extends laterally beyond each side of the collector disc for a distance equal to the width of the surfaces |36, |31 and at its ends also extends in under-lapping relationship with the surfaces |36 and |3l.

The indicator |04 is cemented, for example, by an electrically conducting shellac, in position on the surface |36 so as to lie substantially in the mid-bisecting-plane of the collector disc and in spaced parallel relationship with the repellingplate |38, the anchorage of the indicator extending to the inner end of the surface |35.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the collector disc includes a shallow circular recess |39 in its forward face to accommodate a small flat cylindrical condenser |40 the plates of which are brought out to connection tabs Elli and M2 at its opposite faces. With the condenser M positioned in the recess |39 the tab |4| makes contact with the bottom of the recess and, when the collector assembly is positioned within the casing 90, as shown in Figure 8, the tab H2 makes contact with the innel1 surface of the iront wall 9|. The condenser |48 may, alternatively be omitted as well as the recess ld in the collector.

rThe various external surfaces of the collector disc 23 and repelling plate |33 are also electrically conductive and interconnected and the indicator nbre Hill is secured to the surface |36 in electrical connection therewith to share any electrical charge imparted to the collector assembly and the condenser |55.

In the assembled instrument seen in Figure E, the inner end of the metal press pin falls short of but lies close to the rear surface of the collector disc |23. The collector and parts essoeiated therewith may, therefore, be charged by connecting a battery between the casing 2E and the pin ill and by depressing the pin in resilient bushing H8 to make electrical contact with the surface of the collector.

The assembled relationship of the ion-collector |23 and its associated parts with the casing S0 and lid ll is such that the angular recesses in the casing and lid face each other and together denne an ionisation cavity of angular shape bounded outwardly by the surface 92, the ledge tt and the guide surface 9'! and inwardly by the surface S of the casing, the corresponding surface ||2 of the lid, and by the surface 93 and corresponding surface The forward face of the collector disc does not touch the inner surface of the front wall 9|, being spaced therefrom by the condenser Hill and, likewise, the rear face of the collector disc is supported out of contact with the lid |53 and the diameter of the collector disc is also slightly less than the internal diameter of the casing. Accordingly, the collector disc is spaced on all sides from the interior of the casing so providing an ionisation cavity surrounding the disc which communicates with the angular ionisation cavity aforesaid.

Portable dosimeters may be subjected to all kinds of rough usage and it is therefore important that the indicator bre should not be able to touch and, possibly, adhere to any of the surrounding surfaces of the electroscope under varying conditions of usage. The instrument should also be capable of withstanding a large overvoltage, of being dropped and of being spun violently, all without detriment to the indicator from electric forces, shock, centrifugal forces or from circulation of air within the casing. In the prescnt embodiment of the invention, a high degree of stabilisation or" the indicator has been achieved. Thus, with the parts assembled as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the repelling plate |38 lies athwart the angular cavity with its lateral extensions lying closely to the surfaces 94 and ||2 in over- 9 lapping relationship therewith. The sides of the plate |33 also extend closely adjacent to the forward surface 95 of the casing and the surface I3 of the lid but the surfaces 95 and I I3 and the prism lill] nevertheless lie beyond the sweep of the end of the indicator in any deflection laterally across the repelling plate up to an angle of approximately 90 to each side of its mean position.

Electrostatic deflection of the indicator |04 takes place in the mid-plane of the collector disc at right angles to the repelling plate |38 and in the plane of the surface |02 of the prism 99. The indicator |84 is of such length as to extend almost to the edge of the prism 99 and deilects away from the plate |38 in the direction of the guide surface 91. As previously stated, the edge of the prism 99 and the surface 91 conform substantially in curvature with the arc of electrostatic deflection of the indicator |011. The edge of the prism 99 and the guide surface 9i also lie beyond but closely adjacent to the arc of deflection of the free end of the indicator and the end of the indicator cannot, therefore, make contact with the prism or surface 91 even under severe conditions of overcharging. The movement of the indicator nbre |04 is thus controlled not only by electrostatic repulsion from the repelling plate |38 but by electrostatic attraction towards the guide Surface Sl and the adjoining conducting edge of the prism 99. The attractive force is exerted longitudinally of the bre so tending to maintain it in a plane at right angles to the repelling plate.

The extensive area of the repelling plate |38 in relation to any possible deflection of the indicator nbre lilll is of considerable importance in obtaining stable operation of the fibre under conditions of severe mechanical shock. The precise action of the plate |38 in stabilising the indicator is not accurately known, but may conveniently be explained on the basis that in any lateral deection of the indicator through a substantial angle out of its plane of electrostatic deflection, the indicator lies in a more-or-less uniform eld extending between the plate |38 and the wall portion 9i. This eld does not tend further to deflect the indicator laterally but instead allows the restoring force arising in the resilient indicator upon its lateral deection to have free play in returning it to its plane 'of electrostatic deflection. The stable action of the indicator is, of course, also greatly assisted by the fact that the surfaces of the angular cavity in which it is contained lie beyond the reach of the end of the indicator under the most severe displacements, arising from mechanical shock or overcharging, likely to be encountered in practice.

The ohmic value of the insulation resistance of the spacing insulators |24 and |25 and of the tubular insulators |28, |29 (and of the insulator l of Figures 1 and 2) must be extremely high, preferably of the order of 1020 ohms to avoid false indications by the indicator bre consequent upon leakage of electrostatic charge from the collector to the casing.

The required insulation can be obtained by making the insulator of Figures 1 and 2, and the parts |26, |25, |28 and |29 of the second embodiment of the invention, of polystyrene which has been moulded under high pressure and formed with a highly polished surface. The cleanliness of these insulating parts is an important factor in securing the required electrostatic insulation and it should be noted that such parts if touched by hand are useless for the purpose of the invention. The foregoing construc- .l0 tions permit the use of insulating members of low surface area and volume thereby minimising electrostatic polarisation of the insulators which would otherwise interfere with the operation of the electroscope.

In the assembled instrument the repelling plate |38 lies between and in overlapping relationship with the surface St on the one hand and the prisms 9S and lo@ on the other hand. Rotational adjustment of the lid |138 and the collector assembly with respect to the casing is thereby limited in extent but the limited angular adjustment so afforded is important in permitting the indicator bre to be set to a predetermined position with respect to the scale in initial factory adjustment. To adjust the setting of the indicator fibre it is merely necessary slightly to rotate the lid lilii with respect to the casing to bring the deflectable extremity of the indicator fibre to a zero position on the scale for a fixed charging voltage of, say, volts. This feature is valuable in enabling manufacturing tolerance to be taken up so permitting all electroscopes of a production line to have similar electrical characteristics.

The electroscope should be assembled in a very dry atmosphere so that the moisture content of the air enclosed in the ionisation chamber is low. After the final adjustment of zero has been made by rotating the lid m3, the latter is then cemented in position hermetically to seal the instrument.

The conducting cement used to secure the fibres 'i9 and Idil to their supports may conveniently consist of a hardening plastic containing a conducting medium, such as nely divided graphite. Alternatively, the conducting cernents available under the proprietary names Logoquant, Zapon and Rublat are satisfactory. It should be noted that the cement should not contract appreciably upon solidifying because this may pull upon and break the gold or other conducting coating on the fibre so rendering it non-conducting and useless. Instead of using a conducting cement, a non-conducting cement, such as shellac, may be employed and the cemented parts sputtered with gold or other metal to ensure electrical continuity between the indicator bre and its support.

The electroscope of Figures 5 to 8 may be worn upon the wrist and, when so worn, the construction permits the indicator bre and scale to be viewed through the objective lens without obstructing the admission of external light into the casing since the prismatic optical system is arranged to direct light towards the lens from the side of the casing. The readings obtained with the instruments described may not be accurate enough for radiation therapy, but they are suinciently accurate for health protection which is the primary purpose for which the instruments were designed.

The electroscopes herein described involve relatively few component parts and present little difiioulty in manufacture, assembly and adjustment. Straight uniform quartz fibre can be made in unlimited quantity with a diameter guaranteed within a `few percent, and the overall cost of the instruments depends chiefly upon the case and reproducibility with which the indicator fibre can be installed. To produce instruments with uniform characteristics care should be taken to affix the indicator libre in correct parallel alignment with the repelling plate and to ensure that the indicator fibres are cut 01T to a constant length.

The electroscopes of Figures 1 to 8 are prototype designs intended for fabrication in metal. In mass-production, the instruments could be made by the well-known metal die-casting technique or, alternatively, plastic moulding (preferably injection moulding) could be used for a large proportion of the parts, the design of the parts illustrated being modined as may be necessary to suit the die-casting or moulding procedure employed. If the instruments are made of metal, the metal should have a low atomic number and aluminium and magnesium or alloys thereof are particularly suitable. When using plastic mouldings, the required electrical conductivity can be obtained where necessary by means of conductive coatings applied to the mouldings; good electrical conductivity is not essential and the resistance of the casing or collector disc may, for example, be of the order of megohms.

Alternatively, electroscopes in accordance with the invention may be made of graphite. For fast neutron dosimetry it is advantageous to fabricate the instrument from a conducting material containing the same proportion of hydrogen as in the tissue to be treated such, for example, as polythene (i. e. polymerized ethylene) with an appropriate loading of graphite or carbon black.

The electroscopes described may also be made sensitive to beta radiation by constructing the casing with a wall portion made of a material, such as thin aluminium, magnesium or plastic, which admits beta particles. Thus, the end wall 'El of the nrst embodiment of the invention may be so constructed. Likewise, the lid E68 of the second embodiment may be constituted a diaphragm of such material to provide a large area through which beta rays may enter. With such an arrangement beta radiation will not be indicated when the instrument is worn with the lid next to the wrist but, upon turning the instrument over` to expose the diaphragm, will enter the ionisation cavity and be added to the effect of the gamma radiation. Persons handling small radio active objects should, of course, wear the electroscope on the inner side of the wrist.

The electroscopes may be made sensitive to slow neutrons by including an appropriate amount of a boron compound, such as amorphous boron or boron carbide inside the casing. While specinc embodiments of the invention have been f described which are designed primarily as small light-weight instruments for personnal wear, it should be understood that the several features of the invention are also applicable to laboratory electroscopes and facilitate the manufacture and adjustment of such instruments.

Since many changes could be made in the above constructions and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, for example, it is within the scope of the invention to invert the functions of the internal wall of the casing and the repulsion member with respect to the nbre. To this end, the indicator nbre may be supported adjacent to and in electrical connection with a conducting repulsion surface forming part of the internal conducting wall of the casing which surface has characteristics of shape and area as previously described with reference to the members 'El or 38. A curved conducting guide surface, similar to that of the surfaces 84 or 91 previously described, is vthen provided on the collector so as to lie beyond but closely adjacent to and to conform substantially to the arc swept by the nbre extremity in deflecting away from the repulsion surface of the casing, the arrangement being such that the nbre cannot touch anything except the repulsion surface of the casing.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. An electroscope comprising, in combination, a casing having an internal conducting surface, a member having a conducting surface mounted within the casing in insulated relationship thereto, a flexible conducting indicator nbre disposed adjacent to one of said surfaces in electrical connection therewith, said fibre having an extremity capable of angular electrostatic deflection in an electrostatic neld between said surfaces, a scale within said casing carried adjacent to and in the plane of the denectable extremity of said nbre in measuring relationship to angular denection thereof, the edge of the scale adjacent to said nbre being conductive and in electrical connection with the conducting surface of said casing, an 'objective lens supported 'from an aperture in said casing in image-forming relationship to and spaced from the denectable extremity of said nbre and said scale by an optical distance less than its focal length, and means for illuminating said nbre and scale by light external to said casing whereby enlarged virtual images thereof may be viewed at said lens.

2. An electroscope comprising, in combination, a casing having a conducting internal wall, a conducting repulsion member mounted within the casing in insulated relationship thereto, a nexible conducting indicator fibre disposed adjacent to said member in electrical connection therewith, said fibre having an extremity capable of angular electrostatic deflection in an electrostatic neld between said member and said wall, a scale within said casing carried adjacent to the deflectable extremity of said nbre in measuring relationship to angular deflection thereof, the edge of the scale adjacent to said nbre being conductive and in electrical connection with the conducting wall of said casing, an objective lens supported from an aperture in said casing in imageforming relationship to and spaced from the denectable extremity of said nbre and said scale by an optical distance less than its focal length, and means for illuminating said nbre and scale by light external to said casing whereby enlarged Virtual images thereof may be viewed at said lens.

3. An electroscope as claimed in claim 2, including a window in said casing on the optical axis of said lens, said scale and nbre being arranged between said window and lens for transillumination from said window.

4. An electroscope as claimed in claim 2, including a window in said casing out of alignment with the optical axis of said lens, a reflecting prismatic optical system within said casing in the field of View of said lens, said system including a prismatic element upon which said scale is carried immediately adjacent to the deflectable extremity of said nbre for trans-illumination by said element by light received from said window.

5. An electroscope as claimed in claim 2, said scale extending substantially in a plane, said nbre being arranged for electrostatic denection of its extremity in the said plane and means for varying the relative positions of said scale and nbre in said plane in a zero adjustment of the instrument.

6. An electroscope as claimed in claim 2, said repulsion member comprising a planar surface,

means supporting said fibre in parallel spaced relationship to said surface for electrostatic deflection in a plane substantially at right angles thereto, said surface extending directonally lengthwise of said fibre to the deflectable extremity thereof and extending laterally for a substantial distance at each side of said plane of deection to provide a surface area substantially as great as that swept by said fibre in any deflection out of said plane.

7. An electroscope as claimed in claim 6, said scale extending substantially in the plane of electrostatic deflection of said fibre and having the curved conducting edge thereof conform substantially in curvature with and extend closely adjacent to the arc swept by said fibre extremity in said plane.

8. FAn electroscope as claimed in claim 7, including means for varying the position of said fibre and repulsion surface with respect to said scale in a zero adjustment of the instrument.

9. An electroscope as claimed in claim 2, said repulsion member comprising a planar surface, means supporting said bre in parallel spaced relationship to said surface for electrostatic deiiection in a plane substantially at right angles thereto, said scale extending substantially in said plane of electrostatic deflection and having the curved conducting edge thereof conform.y

substantially in curvature with and extend closely adjacent to the arc swept by said bre extremity in said plane and means for varying the position of said fibre and repulsion surface with respect to said scale in zero adjustment of the instrument.

10, An electroscope as claimed in claim 2 including, a window in said casing out of alignment with the optical axis of said lens, a refiecting prismatic optical system within said casing in the field of view of said lens, means supporting said fibre for electrostatic deflection in a plane transverse to said optical axis, said optical system having a first prismatic element carrying said scale substantially in said plane of electrostatic deection and a second prismatic element removed further from said lens than said fibre, said elements being arranged to trans-illuminate said scale and fibre respectively by light received from said window, and means for varying the position of said fibre with respect to said scale in a zero adjustment of the instrument.

1l. An electroscope as claimed in claim 2 including, a window in said casing out of alignment with the optical axis of said lens, a reflecting optical system within said casing arranged to transilluminate the deflectable portion of said fibre and said scale by light received from said window, said repulsion member comprising a planar surface extending substantially parallel with said optical axis, means supporting said fibre in parallel spaced relationship to said surface for electrostatic deiiection in a plane substantially at right angles thereto, said surface extending directionally lengthwise of said nbre tothe deflectable extremity thereof and extending laterally for a substantial distance at each side of said plane of deflection to provide a surface area substantially as great as that swept by said fibre in any deflection out of said plane, said scale extending substantially in said plane of electrostatic deflection, and having the curved conducting edge thereof conform substantially in curvature with and extend closely adjacent to the arc swept by said fibre extremity in said plane, and means for conjointly varying the position of said bre and repulsion surface with respect to said scale in zero adjustment of the instrument.

12. An electroscope comprising, in combination, a casing constituted by a body portion and a lid interconnected therewith for rotational adjustment with respect thereto, said body portion and lid enclosing a shallow substantially cylindrical ionisation chamber having a conducting internal wail; said chamber containing (1) an ion collector member supported through electrical insulation from said lid in spaced relationship to said internal wall, said collector having a conducting surface and including a planar repulsion surface, (2) a flexible conducting indicator fibre supported from said collector adjacent to and in electrical connection with said repulsion surface, said fibre having an extremity capable of angular electrostatic deflection in an electrostatic field between said repulsion surface and conducting wall, (3) a scale supported from said body portion adjacent to the defiectable extremity thereof, said repulsion surface and fibre being conjointly adjustable with respect to said scale by rotational adjustment of said lid with respect to said body portion and (4) an optical system for illuminating said fibre and scale by light external to said casing; an objective lens supported from an aperture in said body portion in imageforming relationship to and spaced from the deflectable extremity of said fibre and scale by an optical distance less than its focal length; a window in said body portion arranged to admit external light to said optical system, and means for connecting said collector to a source of charging potential.

13. An electroscope as claimed in claim 12, the internal wall of said body portion including a curved guide surface lying closely adjacent to and conforming substantially to the arc swept by said fibre extremity.

14. An electroscope as claimed in claim 12, said window comprising an opening through a wall of said casing removed from the optical axis of said lens, and said optical system including a pair of prismatic elements integral with a lighttransmitting member received within said opening, said elements being arranged to direct light transmitted through said member towards said lens, said scale being carried by a first of said elements in a plane substantially at right angles to said repulsion surface and substantially coincident with the arc of electrostatic deflection of said fibre and the second of said elements being removed further from said lens than said fibre, whereby said scale and fibre are trans-illuminated by said elements.

15. An electroscope as claimed in claim 14, said first prismatic element terminating in a curved edge extending closely adjacent to and having a curvature conforming substantially with the arc swept by said fibre extremity, said edge being conducting and in electrical connection with the internal wall of said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,446,748 Johnsen et al. Feb. 27, 1923 1,855,669 Glasser Apr. 26, 1932 2,022,117 Lauritsen Nov. 26, 1935 2,168,464 Yeda Aug. 8, 1939 2,465,886 Landsverk et al Mar. 29, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES Gamma Ray Pocket Survey Meter, Landsverk, MDDC, 952, Aug. 22, 1945, pp. 1-10. 

